Before he will agree to restarting the power plant, Ishihara has said he would not only weigh safety assessments by the central government but also “listen to citizens’ opinions” and take into account lessons from the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant.

Nuclear power has become a major issue in national politics since the Fukushima crisis.

The Hamaoka plant, operated by Chubu Electric Power Co. on the Pacific coast, was suspended in May after an unprecedented request from then Prime Minister Naoto Kan based on widespread predictions that a quake approaching magnitude 8 could hit the region in the first half of this century and catch the plant unprepared.

Ishihara also campaigned on a pledge that he will work on reforming local industry and the city’s finances so it will no longer have to rely on subsidies related to nuclear energy.